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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The most striking things about the Indian dance performance that the Dover Library held in honor of Diwali were the lurid colors and the shaking of ankle bells. Even before entering the room, a gorgeous cacophony of bells hit your ears. Worn on the ankles of each performer, the bells were just one part of a much larger performance. Students of Neena Gulati at the Triveni School of Dance performed for Dover locals in one of a series of events the library held in honor of the Indian festival of lights, Diwali.
All four girls attend Triveni School of Dance (located in Brookline), but at different levels. The youngest dancer was only in sixth grade, and yet had already mastered ten or so dances. Another dancer was in eighth grade, and the other two in high school. Each had been learning dance since they were young, one girl for over ten years. While there are three main types of classical Indian dance, the performers only presented two types, which are from South India.
Some dances are purely dance, while others have story lines. The final dance, which included all four girls, was of the latter, and was introduced by their instructor with one of the girls’ help: “Lord Krishna sparkles like a sapphire, bringing joy to all, with his magical flute. He dances among the splendor. He is majestic like the ocean, from earth to heaven there is no one in the world like him. He is the compassionate lord who protects us all. Golden bells adorn his ankle as we bow to touch the lowest feet of the lord. Krishna, who has danced on the head of the serpent, eliminates evil in this world.”
While the youngest performer had already mastered 10 dances, the eldest had performed her graduation performance already, known as arangatram. This performance can be performed solo or with a partner, and involves doing eight dances in a row, back-to-back, to show how much a dancer has learned.
The dances performed were not necessarily related to Diwali, but more general celebrations of Indian culture and Hindu gods. All four dancers performed beautifully, gracefully executing each move with the precision and confidence of well-practiced performers. Adorned in brightly colored fabrics, henna, and beautiful jewels, their performance was a true pleasure to witness.
